It almost appeared as if the group was marching in line as they crept along the fence on the north edge of the Crabtree property. The fence that seperated the Crabtree estate from the cemetary next door. Buck glanced over at the row of headstones nearest the fence thinking, now my night is complete.

Dillon was leading the way down the fence, with Van Helsing and Jillian right behind. Buck was bringing up the rear. The fog seemed to be getting thicker the farther they progressed into the woods near the house. The whole thing sent a chill up Buck's spine, which caused him to shiver.

Dillion stopped about 50 feet from the house. The others followed suit and the group stood near the fence waiting. Buck was about to say something about how ridiculous it was that they were following a cat, when he felt something on his right shoulder. He glanced to see what it was, and saw a hand resting on his shoulder. Or to be accurate a hand in a glove, a glove that looked just like the ones he'd seen earlier on Ronald Crabtree.

_________________I don't know what your problem is but I bet its hard to pronounce.

Don’t move another inch, a distinctly British female voice whispered and the grip was like a steel vice on his shoulder pulling Billy Wilson back into the shadows, He’s up there in the house watching. The rest of the little group had frozen in the shadows at the sound of the voice. Except for Dillion who walked to Billy and rubbed his body along Billys leg in greeting. Van Helsing whispered Mina, you’re hurting your boy… Jillian nearly at the same time whispered in a scolding voice, Mother! What! Are you doing here? I told you, I could handle this on my own… Buck and Van Helsing both whispered a little to loudly, Mother??? Van Helsing continued, Jillian this is your mother? Yes, answered the two women, Jillian meet your father Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. said Mina, I think you’ve some explaining to do Mina, said a shocked van Helsing . I hate to break up this family reunion but I think you've both got some explaining to do said Buck... Just who the hell are you people any way, and what's going on here and who in the hell are these Crabtree brothers anyway... We don't move another foot till I get some answers, here and now. Billy standing in shock turns to Mina Harker and mutters you, you are my mother? and nearly fants at her feet. Mina catches the boy in her arms and with an apologetic tone in her voice says poor boy he has always been such an overly emotional, highly strung and delicate child and all of this, has, I fear been a great strain on him...Patting Billies cheek Mina soothingly says Quincy, Quincy wake up dear ... But his name is Billy, Billy Wilson says Buck. No his given name is Quincy, Quincy Harker says Mina he was named after a very dear friend, my maiden name was Murray and my first husbands name was Jonathan Harker. I taught decorum and etiquette to young ladys. That was before I encountered the Count. And Sheriff I’m afraid you aren’t who you think you are either, your last name is Quartermain, Your father is Allan Quatermain…

"Eatty-cut?" wondered Buck aloud. "You taught people how to cut their food?"

The others looked mutually exasperated. Except for Wilson; who mostly looked unconcious. For someone who'd apparently had his head tore off, he was in remarkable good spirits, noted Jillian. Dillion had hopped a few steps off; turned and mewed. When everyone just stood, he let loose a full-blown meow.

Buck had worked up a frown that would have melted steel. "I'm waiting for a explaination." "You'll get it when we do the paperwork, later, I'm sure." Van Helsing was staring hard at the home. The lone light was still on. "Report, smort. Bantam Mills has become undead-central and I wanna list o' names of who I can shoot." "Time is of the essence! Dawn..." "Yeah, yeah. I gotta watch, ya know. Lemme guess. At dawn, half you people are gonna croak." "We are not frogs, Buck." "That'd be the one critter we ain't seen tonight."

Wilson mumbled, stirred, looked up at those around him and yelled. He pulled loose of comforting arms and sped at full speed to the house.

Billy had taken but a few steps when Buck grabbed him by the collar jerking Billy off his feet and pulled him screaming back into the shadows. "Where the hell you think you’re goin kid?" Buck said slapping him across the face " Get a grip kid… Key-ricet" said Buck roughly "You're screaming like a girl, if you ain’t careful boy yer gonna wet yer pants", "I think I already did "said Billy " Don’t be so rough with your brother Buck" said Mina... "Say WHAT!" Muttered Buck ." Lady I’ve known this kid all of my life and he damned sure isn’t my brother, and you just said that my last name is Quatermain, his is Willson or Harker or what ever, what the hell is going on and just how many kids you got anyway lady?"" Just you three dear and you and Quincey were raised here in Bantum Mills by nanny Wilhelmina Henrietta Pratt. Neither of you knew your parents did you ? "

" I remember her ", said Buck fondly as he paused for a moment " She was a distant cousin of Boris Karloff if I remember rightly, and was named after him. Oh yes I remember her. Every night at bed-time she used to tuck me in and.........."

" Oh for goodness sakes...let us cut the ' Happy Families' discussion and let's get on with the task in hand" said Mina.Buck was startled back into reality, but still grinning to himself, remembering nightly cuddles and ..." Oh well come on then ", Buck said reluctantly, as he gathered his wits.

About that time the lights went off in the house. Buck and the others froze in their tracks. Buck turned to say something to Mina when there was a terrible explosion at the house. It appeared as if the whole south side of the house had blown out. flames were shooting up from the gaping holes left by the explosion. As a group they sprinted the last 50 yards to the house.

_________________I don't know what your problem is but I bet its hard to pronounce.

Jerry Thorton hustled up to the glass door of the diner, at least the lights were on! He peeked inside and saw two.....no, three people inside, counting Luke, the diner's owner/cook. Jerry tried the door: it refused to open. A few seconds later and Luke was unlocking same and ushering him inside. Jerry aimed words at the other.

"Good god, Luke! If you're gonna lock the door, what's the point of being open?" "Oh, I got a few customers." Luke relocked and got back behind the counter. Jerry turned as one of those present strode up. Gus Hutton was a man of dark complexion, thinning hair, potbelly and owner of Bantam Mill's hardware store. The two men nodded in greeting.

"What you doing out, Gus?" "I was about to ask you the same thing of you." Gus looked unhappy. "The last couple days...crazy. Don't know what the world is coming to." "I thought I saw the biggest pack of dogs ever." "Wolves, Jerry. Wolves. Been running in and out of town since nightfall. Most people have locked themselves in thier houses." "All the smart ones, eh?" They both managed a laugh but someone else was at the door. A uniformed man; big dark flashlight in one hand; banging on the door with the other. His big 'smokie-bear' hat was about to fall off.

Luke came and got the door open and the deputy stepped inside. He looked flushed....no, decided Jerry. Harrassed. Having to do a lot with little.

"Luke: in my studied analysis it is time to shut down tonight. No one's safe out." "Buck never had a problem with me deciding my own hours, Fred." "Well, I ain't Buck." "What's happening, Fred? You outta know."

Fred Silverman looked at all those essembled. He tugged his hat down a little. "Wolves...""We know." "Did any of ya hear the gunshots earlier?" No one said a thing. Deputy Silverman, the eldest of the town's deputies, continued. "Out on one of the swamp-roads..." "Anywhere near Crabby mansion?"

The other person in the diner; sitting back toward the others at a counter-stool, turned about. He had a face that was hard. Yet....brocken somehow. As if once having been stone; with sharp features chisled out. Now his face reminded of a old, old gravestone....too many years in the rain and snow and sun.

Herbert Johnson. Father of Joy Johnson.

All the rest stirred uncomfortably. No one would meet Herb's eyes. Deputy Silverman aimed words at the floor.

"Everyone's got five minutes to finish your biz here, then you're all going..." "Maybe not." "Herb....look. You been thru enough. You need to be home..." "Fred; I've been thinking it over and I know just what I'm going to do. I got a ax. A big ax; in the trunk of my car. used it last christmas....getting a christmas tree, ya know? The real thing. For the kids...." He swallowed hard and seemed to fight to keep from shaking. At last he stood and without a word walked toward the door.

Silverman slid quietly into his path.

"I think you could do with a ride home, Herb. Too much on your mind to worry about driving." "I can drive myself. I know what I'm doing..." "No, you don't." Silverman tried to make it sound final; end of the discussion but it wasn't a skill he was all that good at. He took Herb by a arm, leading him back out the door. He threw words back over his shoulder as he went.

"When I drive back this way; I wanna see the lights out and no one here."

The door closed, Luke locked it and Jerry and Gus were left facing their thoughts. The mood wasn't cheery.

"THings sure gone haywire around here, Jerry. 6 monthes ago; I couldn't think of living any place else. Now..... hell would be a vacation." "Gus... maybe Herb was onto something." "Herb's had his daughter killed. He isn't..." "He's right about Crabtree, though. I'd sure like to have a long, to-the-point talk with Randal. Wouldn't you?" There was suddenly a dangerous twinkle in Jerry's eyes. Gus found it drew out something of similar nature in him.

"Gus..." "Yeah?" "How many folk do you think we can get?" "To do what?" "Throw a party." "Is a exculsive list of guests involved?" "Only one for sure. Randal Crabtree." "Oh, my....what a happy chance. Got a big shipment of pitchforks in yesterday, too." "Be terrible if someone broke into your fine store and made off with them pitchforks." "Or 2 by 4's. Lot's of them. And all sorts of flammables. If I lost those, I'd be heartbroke." "I feel your pain, Gus. Maybe we need to share our sorrows with like-minded folk." "Yes. Yes, indeed. Let's do that. Right out this door.."

Something boomed, bellowed a bit a way. They hurried off to their task.

Buck stopped looked back briefly at where they had been standing when he felt and saw the gloved hand on his shoulder, it was now illuminated in the glow of the fire and there wasn’t a thing in sight, damned hallucinations, bout like a bad hangover , but with out the fun, he thought to himself then pulled the cell phone from it’s holster pressed the speed dial key for 911, the operator said 911 what’s your emergency? Jenny this is Sheriff Buck get the fire department out to Crabtree mansion there’s been an explosion and the place is on fire…flipping the cell phone closed he headed off behind the others. On the run he reloaded his side arm with the silver tipped rounds van Helsing had given him earlier.

As the group approached the house there was a loud creaking groan from the second story as the house collapsed in on it’s self and down into the bowels of the basement. Flames and burning embers belched up out of the basement like the eruption of a sleeping volcano.

A figure of a man could be seen running toward the stairs, cloths on fire and beating at the flames that would soon engulf him. To Billy and Bucks amassment the figure turned into a very large bat and began to rise out of the flames and smoke, Just as it started to fly over the groups head from behind them came a blast from the mussel of a shot gun and the bat spiraled down landing a few feet in front of the group, then there stood Ronald Crabtree his hair and cloths still smoking. Mira stuck first missing Crabtree’s heart by mere inches with her silver tipped Rowan pike Crabtree howled in pain then van Helsing struck, sinking his pike into the chest of Crabtree who reeled at the blow, Buck raised his revolved and shot 5 times in rapped succession each round striking Crabtree in the chest the vampire staggered backwards falling to the ground but still alive both Mira and van Helsing raced to where the vampire had fallen grabbed their pikes, pushing them threw his body and into the ground, penning the vampire in place.The children of the night began to howl in a spine chilling cacophony as the sun, which had begun to rise started to clear the tree tops its light creeping closer to the vampire writhing on the ground struggling to free himself from the pikes staking him to the ground, desperately seeking to reach the shelter of the trees and their cool, life saving shade.

The group slowly gathered around Crabtree looking down upon his suffering van Helsing spoke… die.. die slowly and suffer as you made my Mary suffer you loathsome fend may the souls of you and your brother burn in hell… Jillian who had been watching in the back ground stepped forward pulled the blades from their Rowan sheaths and in one swift strike severed the vampires head from his body… then placing the tips of the silver blades above the vampires heart struck them home.The vampires body began to crumble and turn to dust, the morning breeze began to stir the dust, picking it up and carrying it away.

Damned fine shot, what!… said a voice in a decidedly Oxfordshire accent, the voice had came from behind the small group, brought the blighter down at 70 yards…They all turned to see two men one white and dressed in safari kaki and wearing a broad brimmed safari hat the other a black man wearing what appeared to be African native clothing, walking up out of the cemetery, the black man was carrying Sheriff bucks shot gun. Hans, do give the Seriff back his shot gun said the white man. Borrowed it don’t you see, sorry if it was inconvenant but I didn’t think you’d mind treably given the sercomstanses.Quartermain, said van Helsing disgustedly... What you will see when you haven’t a gun… exactly said Mira acridly.

Everyone just kinda stood there, not saying much, staring at what was now a smouldering shell of Crabtree's house. Reality was setting in. There were so many questions to be answered. So many people who thought they were someone else. So many people that have now been exposed to things they thought didn't exist. Now is the time for answers

Buck stood rooted to the spot as the swirling mist mingled with the acrid smell of burning timber, rising up into the first light of dawn.

The sun was just appearing over the horizon as it had done for millions, perhaps billions of years. Everything in the natural order of things was normal. Whatever had happened the previous night was a complete contrast to the peace and tranquillity of that moment.

The air was suddenly filled with a chorus of birds singing as if their little hearts would burst with joy.“ Listen to that”, said Buck as he slowly gained his composure. “ I have never heard them sing like that before “.The little world of Bantum Mills would never be the same again.

Jillian wiped the blood from the blade on the grass and threw it to the ground in disgust and picked up Dillon who had gazed on the scene quietly. He purred and snuggled up close to her.

Billy stood in amazement, still shocked by what had happened. He covered his face with his hands and wept, relieving the tension and horror he had witnessed.

Buck tried to make a joke about smoking being bad for you, but decided against it. He said instead “ Right, it is time to sort out this mess once and for all. We are all going back to my office to sort out who is related to whom. I’ve left a large pot of coffee on the stove ready”.

“ I hope it isn’t a gas stove “, said Billy who got a clip around his ear for his cheek.

“We are going to sort out who is related to who and why” said Buck. To himself he said he was darn sure that Jillian was his daughter by Crabtree’s wife. She is the best thing to come out of all this he said quietly to himself.

“What about the wolves”, Jennie asked “We have forgotten them “.

They all turned to see the wolves who had been quietly surveying the scene. The wolves arose, stretched and advanced towards the humans gathered there.One wolf in particular went up to Buck and nuzzled him lovingly, against his thighs murmuring softly. For a moment Buck remembered Jillian’s mother murmuring lovingly in the same way and a few tears welled up in those beautiful green eyes.

The wolves greeted each person in turn for the last time and ran a short distance away. They turned , raised their heads and howled their goodbyes and vanished into the woods.

“Right” said Buck, “Back to my office for a head count and find out who is related to who, and then I want a full report from each of you…on my desk before mid-day “

"Huh", muttered Billy " Things are really back to normal now Sheriff ", and got another clip from Buck who laughed at last, remembering his beloved Nanny who had so clipped his own ears on many an occasion for being too cheeky...and then kissed him on the cheek as compensation.

"Come on then you lot, haven't got all day" he said grinning stupidly to himself.

Once at the townhall/sheriff's office; Buck got right to business. "Billy; run and fetch the coufee from the mayor's side. Best bring the whole pot: I'm thinkin' we gonna need every last drop." Buck manuevered his back-pockets over his chair and managed a uneventful landing there.

"Enough", Buck shouts out. "This is more than any sane person can handle"

"Someone need to start explaining what the hell is going on around here. Vampires, werewolves, cats hanging out with wolves, mysteriously appearing relatives, missing children, explosions..........Now who is going to start explaining all this and I mean from the beginning.....the very beginning and don't leave anything out."

Now get to it.....I want answers NOW !!!!!!! And if anyone else comes in saying they are related to me I am going to shoot them!!!!!

"I can start with those we have known as the Crabtrees." Van Helsing adjusted his monocle; as if there were something he had to be looking at clearly before beginning.

"The Crabtree brothers , one a werewolf, the other a vampire; have been killing for years...indeed, decades. Who knows for how long before I became aware of them. They became experts in covering their trail." "And why did you take up the trail, Doc? What made you so want to do 'em in?" "A woman, Buck." "I might have guessed."

They both smiled; each understanding. Van Helsing went on.

"Her name was Mary Kelly. We were to be married. The abomiable Randal Crabtree crossed paths with her first."

"This was in....let's see.....1888.." "You joshin' me." "Not at all. Many things can motivate a man to a long life." "Such as revenge." "Yes." "This odd-ball wolf? What's with...." "I'm not sure. I wish to believe, here, in the swamp, were the spirits of the dead take form..." "Here's where things take another funny turn. Dead spirits..." "There is much in the world beyond our waking minds, Buck. As the Crabtrees were able to use such force for evil; the natural balance between good and evil had to come into play. The more evil they committed; the more the forces of good rallyied against them. it was just a matter of time till they found themselves in a corner where they could not excape." "Tonight." "Tonight."

"Where does mom..." Jillian glanced at Harker, "Fit into this? She was married, at least, to Randall Crabtree..."

No my dear your mother was not married to Randall Crabtree nor has she ever had any relationships with any man but Billy’s father Jonathan Harker and my self. Jillian you are our daughter. Buck you are Allen’s son and your given name is Harry, Buck has been your nickname from the time you could first walk. Willamina here adopted you as her own after the death of your mother and just before we brought you and Billy or rather Quincey here. Sufice it to say it’s all rather confusing now but in time as Crabtrees telaphtic hold over you and the rest of the town begins to deminish your memorys will return. Much of what you think you know is as a result of his telepathic hold over this town.You two were brought forward in time and left here in the care of your nanny Ms Wilhelmina Henrietta Pratt and Quartermains old freind Walt Barrison here to keep you all out of harms way. When we realized that the Crabtree brothers knew we were on their trail and started to hunt us. Then several years ago Crabtree found where you two were, kidnapped Jillian and came here with his brother.